Software Experiences

[tsedge]

Hi,

A question for those who have upgraded to the MGS5 from a previous MG EV: does the MGS5 software feel any better / slicker / a big step forward?

With my MG4, the software is definitely a weak point with numerous updates still not fixing a ton of bugs and it being generally slow to start-up and respond, plus zero customisability.

I am aware of the MG Pilot persistent settings, which is a good feature and a big step forward, but my question is really broader... is this just a warmed-over MG4 interface or something that is a more significant step forward?

Many thanks for your insights.

 

[5teep]

My only experience is with the original MG5 and that has awful software. The S5 is not the most intuitive and it has it's niggles but at the same time it's smooth enough working, doesn't glitch and does everything its meant to do.

 

[gus]

My experience is with the ZS, but I have settled into a routine of setting my regen preferences and drive mode and then engaging my preferred settings in MG pilot, then I am off, anything else I can engage from the steering wheel like speed limiter which I couldn’t do before. Thinking about it I have the drive mode and regen saved as the star favourites so I could do it on the move.
I guess I am saying I see it as a good step forward.

 

[5teep]

That's a plus point for the S5, you can save your custom MGPilot settings and when you get in the car, swipe down, press the top right custom icon and confirm. Makes it simple to turn off all the nagging if you want to.

 

[Hugo A Go Go]

The only real bug I have found is when I get in the car, sometimes the radio starts playing, other times it doesn’t and I have to press the centre button on the media control (or play on the screen).

It’s just a bit inconsistent.

Other things are just niggles. I wish it the screen could automatically switch between light and dark mode depending on ambient light levels.

Overall though, it works pretty well.

 

[cd1yat]

Hi,

A question for those who have upgraded to the MGS5 from a previous MG EV: does the MGS5 software feel any better / slicker / a big step forward?

With my MG4, the software is definitely a weak point with numerous updates still not fixing a ton of bugs and it being generally slow to start-up and respond, plus zero customisability.

I am aware of the MG Pilot persistent settings, which is a good feature and a big step forward, but my question is really broader... is this just a warmed-over MG4 interface or something that is a more significant step forward?

Many thanks for your insights.

I've come from an MG4 and after 60k miles I was v familiar with the quirks.

This is a complete rework, not a light touch change. The comfort braking is new and major and is OPD (for me at least) and is well implemented.

The ACC is less abrupt in every way that counts and the power delivery is softer and better managed too.

More importantly, the interface is smoother, quicker and hasn't glitched yet. It has not dropped the radio or black screened with android auto. I also love that all the irritations around changing audio, adjusting climate etc that often requires a few clicks and screens to find or change are now so easy. The HVAc implementation is better too, a gradient of heat and cool is possible rather than the MG4 on or off. The whole look, feel, ease of use and implementation is very good in my opinion. It feels 2 or 3 generations on at least from my 72 plate MG4.

I have no regrets at all.

 

[5teep]

I guess its a software thing though not to do with the media centre. I've noticed that the car (in ACC) is a bit too keen to slam the brakes on when approaching stationary cars. Makes driving a bit of an adventure in town though I suppose I shouldn't be using acc in town anyway.

 

[Amun]

I come from an MG5 and feel that the software is quite an improvement.

 

[TimothyN]

I'm happy with everything except the control of the radio which either I completely fail to understand or is complete garbage.

Yes, as Hugo says, it appears to start randomly as I start the car, if it does start (or if I start it) it goes to an awful rock station on FM, even though it is always left in DAB, on one of R4,R3 or CFM.

Then, I can't find a way to order favourites, even putting R4 at the top of the list.

I actually can't remember any car with a worse interface to the radio. Even in the 70s the dial would stay where you left it.

I also agree with 5teep that the ACC is a bit of a pain with parked cars. I have been thinking about that, because I was an early adopter of ACC in my old Audi, and I could drive in urban roads using it, but that was because it didn't stop for stationary vehicles. (If anyone has a grey, empty, unfulfilled life, they could look at but don't blame me if you want that bit of your life back.)

So I think I would take uncommanded braking for parked cars over death and destruction. But I do find that I can foresee when it's going to happen and steer a little away to avoid it, or put my foot lightly on the go pedal.

Having said that, the software is 98% great and I can live with that.

But iSMART is very clunky and unresponsive.

 

[FCat53]

I'm happy with everything except the control of the radio which either I completely fail to understand or is complete garbage.

Yes, as Hugo says, it appears to start randomly as I start the car, if it does start (or if I start it) it goes to an awful rock station on FM, even though it is always left in DAB, on one of R4,R3 or CFM.

Then, I can't find a way to order favourites, even putting R4 at the top of the list.

I actually can't remember any car with a worse interface to the radio. Even in the 70s the dial would stay where you left it.

I also agree with 5teep that the ACC is a bit of a pain with parked cars. I have been thinking about that, because I was an early adopter of ACC in my old Audi, and I could drive in urban roads using it, but that was because it didn't stop for stationary vehicles. (If anyone has a grey, empty, unfulfilled life, they could look at but don't blame me if you want that bit of your life back.)

So I think I would take uncommanded braking for parked cars over death and destruction. But I do find that I can foresee when it's going to happen and steer a little away to avoid it, or put my foot lightly on the go pedal.

Having said that, the software is 98% great and I can live with that.

But iSMART is very clunky and unresponsive.

My bug is better than your bug... randomly the radio will not turn on when car is started, pressing the right toggle has no effect, and will not play from the media screen? Solution, talk nicely to the car ' PLAY RADIO' the only way it turns on?

 

[TimothyN]

I haven't even tried talking to the car yet.

Is there a documented list of commands?

 

[Hugo A Go Go]

I'm happy with everything except the control of the radio which either I completely fail to understand or is complete garbage.

Yes, as Hugo says, it appears to start randomly as I start the car, if it does start (or if I start it) it goes to an awful rock station on FM, even though it is always left in DAB, on one of R4,R3 or CFM.

But iSMART is very clunky and unresponsive.

That is strange. I usually leave the radio on Radio 2 on DAB and it always comes back on that. I’ve never had it change to anything else.

I honestly find iSMART to be brilliant compared to Hyundai Bluelink

 

[TimothyN]

Yes, I appear to be the only person on the forum, possibly in the world, to have this radio problem.

iSMART would be brilliant if it were a little more responsive and they had done a modicum of testing. Just one example...you set the charging up to match your overnight tariff, then swipe the app closed in the normal iPhone way and, because the Start Charging button is under the swipe, it, er, starts charging. Five minutes in a testing lab would've caught that one.

 

[5teep]

I also agree with 5teep that the ACC is a bit of a pain with parked cars. I have been thinking about that, because I was an early adopter of ACC in my old Audi, and I could drive in urban roads using it, but that was because it didn't stop for stationary vehicles. (If anyone has a grey, empty, unfulfilled life, they could look at but don't blame me if you want that bit of your life back.)

My solution now is to set a max speed and drive with acc off in town, The Highlands 20mph speed limit in town is so easy to break I need something to keep me legal.

 

[TimothyN]

Then, I can't find a way to order favourites, even putting R4 at the top of the list.

I have found a way to order favourites, but it is unbelievably clunky, I would have been fired if I had left the user doing this sort of thing when I was in the software business.

What you do is identify all your favourites. You then unfavourite and favourite each of them in reverse order of desirability, so, in my case, Times Radio is only a fall-back when everything else is unlistenable to, so I favourited that first, then LBC, LBC News, Magic Classical and so on until the last two things I toggled were R3, then R4. Using that inverted sort, I have the order I wanted, but it's pretty (what the Dutch would call) "unhandy". I hope I never want to add anything else in, as I would have to go through the entire exercise again.